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09-17-2007, 08:45 PM
From Yahoo Sports (link at end of article)
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The San Diego Chargers (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/sdg/;_ylt=AsE3oyZ9x4khC6ABq9ioSAMdsLYF) hardly resemble the team that had the NFL's best record last season, especially after getting routed 38-14 at New England on Sunday night.
Under first-year coach Norv Turner, the Chargers (1-1) have looked nothing like the team many consider to be the league's most-talented. The most glaring difference is that the normally high-powered offense is struggling.
"I'm concerned because there is a standard here and we expect to be more productive and we expect to move the ball," Turner said Monday. "I feel we've played two outstanding teams. We need to be more productive and we're not going to be more productive if we turn the football over."
San Diego was the NFL's highest-scoring team last season as it finished with a league-best 14-2 record before imploding in a home playoff loss to the Patriots. The Chargers were the fourth-ranked offense behind reigning NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5452/;_ylt=Amiw0W8Yk0xEtFW1RD1rMZQdsLYF).
But this season the Chargers rank near the bottom of nearly every offensive category, including scoring, where they are 24th with just 28 points. They won their opener 14-3 over the Chicago Bears (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/chi/;_ylt=AkAR72qrFaNhYa0cYL5KzYMdsLYF).
And Tomlinson? After rushing for a career-high 1,815 yards and scoring an NFL-record 31 touchdowns last season, Tomlinson has been stymied. He's averaging just 1.9 yards per carry with 68 yards on 35 carries.
"I don't know that anything that you say is going to reassure anybody," Turner said. "What we have to do is go perform. We have to go play the way we're capable of playing."
The Chargers continued a disturbing trend by not scoring in the first half for the second straight week. Last season, San Diego scored in the first half of each regular-season game.
"The most concerning thing for me was turning the football over in the first half," Turner said. "You turn the football over, you don't give yourself a chance. It's a disrupting thing."
Quarterback Philip Rivers (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6763/;_ylt=Arc3jKpKv7XeN1VBShLr2qYdsLYF) threw two interceptions Sunday night, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and lost a fumble.
San Diego, considered by most to be a Super Bowl contender, looks to rebound Sunday at Green Bay. But Turner said he is not worried about his team.
"This group of guys, they've been through this thing," Turner said. "It's a long season. A loss is loss. Once it's over, you have put it behind you. It doesn't matter how it occurs. This group has done that before and I think they will do it again."
Notes
Turner said it was too early to tell whether RT Shane Olivea (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6968/;_ylt=AoDdbyEB.r4JfSNxvFaC0z8dsLYF) (lower back strain) and ILB Matt Wilhelm (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6448/;_ylt=ApwDzbTHwD0wNAWAYSN8fJwdsLYF) (calf) will miss the Green Bay game. Both were forced out of Sunday night's game. Wilhelm was hurt in pregame warmups and only lasted a few plays. ... Others with injuries were RG Mike Goff (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/4485/;_ylt=AichqicEJnPv3dBhg1gbcS4dsLYF) (bruised knee), OLB Shaun Phillips (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6857/;_ylt=AiChKIa5vCF8tcNM08DViyYdsLYF) (bruised quad), DT Jamal Williams (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/4497/;_ylt=At5aKjKS7xqli4DFrwgDmTQdsLYF) (sprained elbow), ILB Stephen Cooper (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6662/;_ylt=Apg8eQO.dX4lScdn9pG.NHkdsLYF) (strained neck) and SS Clinton Hart (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6653/;_ylt=AvHhT2Hv0M8vAS6EcaPSEdIdsLYF) (strained hamstring).
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AlmiD2WfCLbLYLIDWfv46df.uLYF?slug=ap-chargers-turner&prov=ap&type=lgns
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The San Diego Chargers (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/sdg/;_ylt=AsE3oyZ9x4khC6ABq9ioSAMdsLYF) hardly resemble the team that had the NFL's best record last season, especially after getting routed 38-14 at New England on Sunday night.
Under first-year coach Norv Turner, the Chargers (1-1) have looked nothing like the team many consider to be the league's most-talented. The most glaring difference is that the normally high-powered offense is struggling.
"I'm concerned because there is a standard here and we expect to be more productive and we expect to move the ball," Turner said Monday. "I feel we've played two outstanding teams. We need to be more productive and we're not going to be more productive if we turn the football over."
San Diego was the NFL's highest-scoring team last season as it finished with a league-best 14-2 record before imploding in a home playoff loss to the Patriots. The Chargers were the fourth-ranked offense behind reigning NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5452/;_ylt=Amiw0W8Yk0xEtFW1RD1rMZQdsLYF).
But this season the Chargers rank near the bottom of nearly every offensive category, including scoring, where they are 24th with just 28 points. They won their opener 14-3 over the Chicago Bears (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/chi/;_ylt=AkAR72qrFaNhYa0cYL5KzYMdsLYF).
And Tomlinson? After rushing for a career-high 1,815 yards and scoring an NFL-record 31 touchdowns last season, Tomlinson has been stymied. He's averaging just 1.9 yards per carry with 68 yards on 35 carries.
"I don't know that anything that you say is going to reassure anybody," Turner said. "What we have to do is go perform. We have to go play the way we're capable of playing."
The Chargers continued a disturbing trend by not scoring in the first half for the second straight week. Last season, San Diego scored in the first half of each regular-season game.
"The most concerning thing for me was turning the football over in the first half," Turner said. "You turn the football over, you don't give yourself a chance. It's a disrupting thing."
Quarterback Philip Rivers (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6763/;_ylt=Arc3jKpKv7XeN1VBShLr2qYdsLYF) threw two interceptions Sunday night, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and lost a fumble.
San Diego, considered by most to be a Super Bowl contender, looks to rebound Sunday at Green Bay. But Turner said he is not worried about his team.
"This group of guys, they've been through this thing," Turner said. "It's a long season. A loss is loss. Once it's over, you have put it behind you. It doesn't matter how it occurs. This group has done that before and I think they will do it again."
Notes
Turner said it was too early to tell whether RT Shane Olivea (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6968/;_ylt=AoDdbyEB.r4JfSNxvFaC0z8dsLYF) (lower back strain) and ILB Matt Wilhelm (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6448/;_ylt=ApwDzbTHwD0wNAWAYSN8fJwdsLYF) (calf) will miss the Green Bay game. Both were forced out of Sunday night's game. Wilhelm was hurt in pregame warmups and only lasted a few plays. ... Others with injuries were RG Mike Goff (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/4485/;_ylt=AichqicEJnPv3dBhg1gbcS4dsLYF) (bruised knee), OLB Shaun Phillips (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6857/;_ylt=AiChKIa5vCF8tcNM08DViyYdsLYF) (bruised quad), DT Jamal Williams (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/4497/;_ylt=At5aKjKS7xqli4DFrwgDmTQdsLYF) (sprained elbow), ILB Stephen Cooper (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6662/;_ylt=Apg8eQO.dX4lScdn9pG.NHkdsLYF) (strained neck) and SS Clinton Hart (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6653/;_ylt=AvHhT2Hv0M8vAS6EcaPSEdIdsLYF) (strained hamstring).
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AlmiD2WfCLbLYLIDWfv46df.uLYF?slug=ap-chargers-turner&prov=ap&type=lgns